We are all one family

RAMZ SPREADS THE LOVE

RAMZ is bringing back smiles to the tainted streets of London.

A rise in knife crime this year has given the capital a frightening reputation. But the Mitcham rapper’s new single Family Tree celebrates the good side of London’s youth and close-knit communities. Ramz told me: “I think some people are very scared by what they read in London, but it’s not all like that. “I think this will send a strong message that everyone is one family and we should stick together.” Family Tree shout-outs to his mum, school friends and all his London roots.

But Ramz is aware of the problems out there too.

He said: “The youth that has grown up with knife crime is just used to this, that’s how London is.

“It’s the younger kids that we have to be worried for, they are the ones starting to do bad things; not attending schools, and they are more at risk because they are the ones who end up killing each other.”

Family Tree was produced with Fraser T Smith, the man behind Adele and Stromzy. He said: “Frazer is a wizard, he just asked how I felt in the studio, I told him and we came up with the Family Tree vibe.” It’s the follow-up to his massive debut Barking, which made Ramz the highest charting UK urban artist since 2015. The hit was also huge in Germany – but do they know where Barking even is? He laughed: “They understand the majority of the song. They all love it, I tried speaking German but I’m a way off that.”